Former teammates Norris Cole and Daequan Cook square off in NBA Finals

June 17, 2012|By Shandel Richardson, Sun Sentinel

MIAMI — — Daequan Cook and Norris Cole will savor the moment a few weeks from now.

Until then, they will treat this like any two players on opposing teams. The former high school teammates have not spoken since learning they would face each other in the NBA Finals. The focus right now is helping their team win a title, not rekindle a friendship.

"We haven't talked," said Cook, an Oklahoma City Thunder reserve guard. "We both understand the situation. We're focusing on teams and trying to win. I'm sure after the season we'll talk. We do a lot of communicating back home. We do a lot of working out together."

Cook and Cole both played at Dunbar High School in Dayton, Ohio. The two were on Dunbar's state championship team in 2006. Cook was considered the team's star player, earning a scholarship to Ohio State. Cole was the less heralded of the two because he was entertaining the idea of possibly playing football at the next level. He was an All-State quarterback, and wasn't recruited heavily to play basketball.

He eventually signed to play at Cleveland State before developing into the Heat's first-round draft pick in 2011. Cole said he never expected both to appear in the NBA Finals so early in their careers.

"It looked far more promising for [Cook] than me at the time," Cole said. "I had work to do. Once I got to college, I got to focus on one sport for four years and I was able to make it to the NBA. He was always an NBA prospect. He's been one of the best players in the country since he's been in the eighth grade."

Cook and Cole are the first Dayton natives to make the Finals since Ron Harper did with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001. Harper, a five-time NBA champion, is often considered the best player to come out of the area. He won championships with the Chicago Bulls and Lakers.

Cole said this feat could help give exposure to Dayton basketball. The city is mostly known for its football, and most of the high school hoops attention is placed on Akron because of LeBron James.

"I think it definitely can help put Dayton on the map," Cole said. "It shows that even though we come from a smaller city that you can still make it."

Spo backs Westbrook

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the criticism of Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook was unwarranted.

Westbrook was under fire for his shot selection and the inability to be a pass-first point guard. He was averaging 27 points a game entering Game 3, but shooting just 40 percent.

Westbrook had a taken a team-high 50 shots, eight more than regular-season scoring champion Kevin Durant.

Spoelstra said the criticism has irritated him because Westbrook is one of the league's top point guards. An All-Star, Westbrook has been a big reason the Thunder are three wins away from a championship.

Westbrook has said he will not alter his approach, and the Heat don't expect anything different.

"He's an aggressive player," Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. "I expect him to be aggressive, this is the Finals. They're coming to win the game, we're coming to win the game."